Love for the lost
by Novicewriting
Summary: Bucky found something he thought he would never obtain. The love and companionship of a woman who didn't see him as a monster or a killer.
1. Chapter 1

I must first start with the disclaimer that I do not own and do not take credit for any Marvel characters. Next, I will let anyone who is about to read this know that there will be SPOILERS about The Avengers: Infinity War. This story is just something I wanted to whip up. I believe Bucky deserves to love and be loved. This isn't going to be some dark story, it is a romantic story. If a love story isn't what you were looking for then please exit now. THANK YOU.

Ever since the destruction of what was now known as the "Infinity War", the world and the people in it changed. It had been only a few months since the event occurred, but it was a pinnacle point in everyone's lives. The ones who watched their loved ones die had a much better appreciation for them. The ones who had died and then brought back had a better appreciation for life. Most of everyone understood now that they had no control over what would, or could, happen to them. The Avengers reunited in this aftermath and the world was grateful to have them back. There were those who still believed they should not continue with their ways. That they were the reason these terrible things fell upon Earth and it's inhabitants. It is possible they were right or The Avengers were the only reason the world was still in one piece. If they were not there to defend and protect, would these terrible things still have occurred? Or would they have occurred regardless? In truth, the world would never know.

These deep thoughts ran though the mind of a young women whose head was off in the clouds. When it should have been focused on the speaker in front of her. Staring at the man giving the speech, only listening in every now and then, catching pieces of the topic at hand. A yawn was beginning to creep up, but she fought the urge and chose that moment to readjust her position. Turning the chair more to the right, she now faced the front the room, and placed both hands in her lap.

'This is pointless...' She thought, 'We know this stuff already. I get the feeling that this guy does not know that we are some of the top minds Shield has to offer. I mean Bruce Banner is here for goodness sake.'

She looked to her left and saw him push some of his curly brown hair out of his face. He was letting it grow out some, which showed off more of the grey hair mixed within. She had been able to work with him since the aftermath of the war. After the war, Shield worked to develop better technologies and defenses. That was what they were discussing in this meeting. More like listening to, as Shield knew what they wanted, but needed the right minds to bring life to their ideas. She believed things like these meetings were an utter waste of time. All it ever was, was some white collar "yes" man telling them what Shield wanted. What resources they had at their disposal and the timeline they needed to complete it by. All pointless things to talk about. They wanted better global defenses, which was easy with Wakanda's technology now at their fingertips. They had all the resources they could ever need, since Stark was funding most of this operation. Time was the only thing they had to keep track of. Things were fine for now, but the past had shown everyone that time was never on their side.

"Well, does anyone have any questions about what is expected of them?" Said the man, after he completed his speech, "This is an important project and we need all hands on deck!" He exclaimed in a chipper tone and with quaint smile.

The room was silent and the dozen or so people looked at him with the same exasperated expression. He smiled, seeming unfazed by their attitudes, "Good! Then go break some eggs!"

With almost no hesitation the group stood up and made their way out the glass doors of the conference room. The woman made her way over to Banner, pushing through the group of people. She walked up by his right side and matched his pace.

In an elated tone, she asked, "So, how is your day going Dr. Banner?"

He turned his gaze over to her and smiled, "Hello, Serenity, you know you can call me Bruce. I've told you this before and my day is going well. Yours?"

"It would be a perfect day once the shipment of vibranium gets here. I'm beyond excited to work with such a coveted resource." She could hardly contain her excitement as a large grin broke out on her face.

"Well, it should be here in a few hours." He explained as he rubbed the nape of his neck, "Once it does we should get to work right away." Serenity nodded in agreement.

Being on the frontline, Banner knew first hand the destruction our world faced. It felt like only a matter of time until the next catastrophic event occurred. Serenity could sense his distress, but didn't have the words to alleviate his concerns. She knew very well that they could do what was expected of them. The Wakandans were sharing their most precious resource and most of their technology. This included their defense, medical, and weapons technology. Shield wanted to see if we could create more and try to continue the evolution of technology. Both were in deep thought over what needed to be completed. The two of them continued down a hallway, towards the lab they were working in. Serenity's focus was on her feet, too encompassed in her thoughts to pay attention to the world around her. Banner was also lost in his own mind, stroking his chin as he looked onwards. Both were moving on auto pilot, knowing the exact route they needed to take without any thought.

Out of nowhere, Serenity ran face first into what felt like a metal wall. The force of the hit was so powerful that it made her stumble backwards and fall on her back. She yelped out in pain while closing her eyes. Clutching her face with both hands, she rolled over onto her side. Curling up into a ball, she squirmed around from the pain surging through her nose and face. A warm sensation began to run down her hands. Opening her eyes, she pulled one hand away to see blood. Her eyes widened in shock and she tried to comprehend what happened. She heard a commotion of voices around her and could see people surrounding her. Although in that moment, her vision was hazy, but she could feel somebody sitting her up. She was still on the floor, but sitting up right. Keeping her head down, she leaned forward a bit and tried to breathe through her mouth.

"I'm so sorry!" Exclaimed the voice of a man, who seemed distraught by his tone, "Oh god, I broke your nose! Keep leaning forward, it should help direct the blood flow."

Serenity wanted to lift her head up to see who was speaking, but her head was throbbing from the pain. Her eyes were tearing up and a couple had managed to escape, running down her cheek. The blood was now trailing down her forearm and dripping down onto her legs and skirt.

She stared at the droplets and thought, 'Good thing this thing is black. I like this skirt.' This was a silly thought, but she couldn't help think about how easy it would be to clean, since it was black.

Still looking down at the ground, her view consisted of loose, curly brown hair. Her vision was clear now and the blood was no longer flowing from her nose, but was more like a trickle. She could feel it running down her face and neck. At that point, she took her free hand and tried to wipe it up, not wanting any to travel down her chest. The people around her were mumbling words that she didn't pay attention to. At that time, she felt it was a good moment to get up. Taking her hand off her face, she placed both of them on the floor in front of her. Taking a deep breath through her mouth, she made the best effort she could to push herself up and forward. Regardless, her balance was off and she almost flung herself face first into the floor. At the same time, she felt a pair of hands grab both her arms and prevent her from causing more damage.

'Is that metal?' She thought, looking down at her left arm she saw what was in fact a metal hand. 'Is that who I think it is?'

She turned her head around and up to her right to get a look at the man who had grabbed her. It pained her to do so, but her curiosity got the better of her. The man grasping her was in fact the person she was thinking of, James Buchanan Barnes also known as Bucky. She then realized, that she must have ran into his arm somehow. That was him apologizing for breaking her nose. His eye brows were raised and worry filled those blue eyes. His grasp on her arms was firm, but yet gentle. She tried again to pull herself up, this time Bucky assisted. Now on her feet, she looked around to see many people standing around. Many of them had the same worried expression on their faces. Captain Steve Rogers was even in the mix, but it was to be expected if Bucky was near by.

Bruce shuffled over to her, "We need to get you to the infirmary. That is a lot of blood."

She nodded, "That would be..." She paused taking a deep breath through her mouth,"...a good idea."

Determined to walk on her own, she stumbled in the direction of the medical wing. She could feel one of Bucky's hands resting on her back. It seemed he was determined to make sure she got there in one piece.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, here is chapter 2. I'm a going to explain something real fast to anyone reading this, just in case anyone wants to complain or something. This will be a romantic story with fluff and not much action. I really would love to see these characters be happy and find love. All the Marvel characters. I'm not following the comics, but I do use bits a pieces for inspiration. I'm going more off the MCU, but still with my own ideas. There may be things I do incorrectly, but this isn't about that. It is about love for those who felt like they were never meant to find that. These are also not my characters, except Serenity, they belong to Marvel. I do not take credit for these characters.

Bruce held the door to the infirmary open for Serenity as she stumbled in, Bucky still close behind. A woman with short grey hair in a white coat noticed the group enter. Her eyes widened when she saw the bloody sight that was Serenity. Rushing over, she took Serenity's hand and led her to a table.

"What in heavens name happened to you child?!" The woman exclaimed.

Serenity turned her gaze over to Bucky with a pained look, but simply stated, "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Ran into a wall." Turning her gaze back, she sat as still as she could as the doctor began examining the wound.

Bucky stood back with Steve by his side and watched her get cleaned and fixed up. Crossing his arms, he furrowed his brow in disappointment. "I seem to hurt everybody, don't I?" He asked Steve, glancing over to make eye contact.

Steve's lips formed a slight smile, but couldn't hide the slight pain in his eyes after hearing his friend say such a thing, "No. This was simply an accident. She'll be fine."

Bucky looked down at his feet, but did not reply to Steve. His mind was thinking about ways to make it up to the poor woman. It wasn't her fault she had a broken nose, but his. Nothing Steve said could change his mind. Steve placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder and gave him his best reassuring look. At that moment, Bruce walked over to the two men and adjusted his glasses before stating,

"She should be fine, her bleeding stopped. The doctor says it isn't as bad as it looks."

Bucky sighed in relief, "Good to hear."

"Good. Then there isn't anything more we can do here, let's get back to work." Explained Steve.

Bruce agreed, "Probably best. The Doctor is gonna patch her up and knowing Serenity we will be heading back to the lab after this. Plenty of projects on our list."

Bucky sighed heavily and uncrossed his arms while nodding in agreement. The two men turned and left the infirmary, but Bucky took one last look at Serenity. She was wincing in pain as the doctor cleaned her wound. He followed Steve out into the hall and the two walked side by side. Steve could still see the look of gloom on Bucky's face. This was really getting to him.

"So you broke a woman's nose? It's nothing to cry over. She will be just fine." Steve did his best to sound as reassuring as possible.

Bucky scoffed, "I'm not crying. But that incident just reinforces the fact I shouldn't be here. I'm a danger to everyone. Just my presence gets people hurt."

Steve replied with a more stern tone, "You aren't a danger to anyone. That was a simple accident, nothing more. She didn't even seem upset about it."

Bucky let out a soft sigh, "Maybe."

"I'm right and you know it, now let's get back to business." Said Steve as the two men continued on their way.

Serenity looked at her reflection on one of the glass windows in the laboratory. She pursed her lips, seeing the state of her injury again. A bandage and splint was placed on her nose to help with the healing process. There was some slight bruising under her eyes and the pain would come with every expression she made. She refused to take any of the pain medications, as there was much work to do. She didn't want her mind to be compromised. She turned around and saw Bruce yawning, stretching out his arms. Looking at the clock on the wall and she saw that it was now midnight. They had gotten a lot done, even with the hiccup of her injury. The defense system they were ticketing with seemed that much closer to completion. Watching Bruce yawn was infectious, as she felt one coming on.

"Come on Bruce. Let's call it a night." She said holding back the yawn, to avoid any pain.

Bruce nodded, "Sounds good to me."

Bruce grabbed his jacket and the two of them walked out the doors. Just outside stood a blonde woman they both knew well. Bruce smiled at the sight of her and she smiled right back. The two embraced each other and shared a small kiss. Serenity smiled at the two, feeling a bit jealous of their love. The two were such a cute couple, almost polar opposites, but it worked so well.

"Sorry we are out late Natasha, it was my fault. I wanted to get as much done as we could and there was a small accident that set us back." Serenity stated.

Natasha smiled, "I heard Bucky was the reason for your delay. And that he was the reason for your nose too."

"It was an accident. No one is at fault. I'm not the most graceful person, you know." Serenity said with a playful tone.

The group began walking down the hall, when Natasha replied, "Bucky doesn't see it that way. He is surprisingly upset about it. Thinks it was his fault."

Serenity looked over at Natasha in shock, "Really? Didn't think something so innocent would do that to a man like that."

"A man like that?" Natasha quoted in a disapproving tone.

"All I meant was, he is a hardened individual, I didn't think he would care about the feelings of someone like me. Much less be upset over it." Said Serenity as she pondered what was just relayed to her.

"He did look pretty upset when we took you to the infirmary." Added Bruce.

"Hmm…I didn't realize." Serenity said in a whisper of a tone.

"Well, maybe you can let him know. It might take some of the guilt off of him." Natasha replied and Bruce nodded in agreement.

The group was now at the entrance of the building that held their living quarters. Natasha and Bruce separated from Serenity and wished her good night as they departed to their room. Serenity looked down at the floor in deep thought as she made her way to her room. Wondering if what Natasha said was really true. However, Natasha would have no reason to lie about something like this. So that meant Bucky really was upset about hurting her. That was the first time she ever saw the man and supposed she did jump to a rather harsh conclusion about his personality. She only knew bits and pieces about him, mostly things that Bruce had told her.

Arriving at the door to her room, she placed her right hand on the center of the door. A blue light scanned her hand and the door slide open. She walked in and stumbled over to her bed, which was only about ten feet or so across from the door. She crawled onto the bed and laid down on her back. Using her feet, she individually kicked off her black, flat, ankle boots and let them fall to the floor. She removed the phone from the pocket of her skirt and sat it down on the nightstand. Then, slipped her skirt and black opaque stockings off. She crumpled them up into a ball and tried throwing them into the hamper across the room. They landed at the base and she sighed in defeat. She proceeded to remove her grey t-shirt and simply dropped it on the floor. Lastly, she unhooked her bra and slipped it out from under her camisole.

"Finally." She sighed in relief as she let the bra drop to the floor with her other clothes.

Staring up at the ceiling of her room she couldn't help but think about what Natasha said about Bucky. She contemplated finding him and letting him know that things were fine. That she wasn't mad or upset about what happened. As she continued her train of thought, she grabbed the comforter that was crumpled up next to her and curled up underneath it. She laid awake for the next half hour, thinking about anything and everything, before she finally dozed off.

The morning sun peaked through the window in Serenity's room. A soft and gradually rising melody came from her phone. She slowly opened her eyes and without changing her position, she extended her left arm and grabbed the phone. Her eyes squinted a bit as looked at the screen and she hit the stop button.

"Ugh…is it 8 o'clock already?" Mumbling to herself as she rose up in bed, placing the phone back down on the nightstand.

She let out an exhausted sigh and lazily swing one leg over the edge of the bed, then the other. She stretched out her arms and let out a yawn. Although, a split second later she winced in pain, having forgotten about her nose. Standing up she staggered over to the door across from her and walked into the bathroom. She went about her business of relieving herself, brushing her teeth, and washing her face. She walked over to a door within her bathroom and slid it open. Beyond it was a closet containing clothes in a very small color spectrum. Consisting of various shades of black, grey, cream or white, and a couple pieces of red. She opened a drawer of a small dresser and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear, socks, a bra, and camisole. She then grabbed a black pair of jeans, a grey v-neck shirt, and a black slouchy knit cardigan. She was about to close the door when she saw her necklace laying across the top of the table. The chain was made of silver and attached was a gold heart shaped locket. She grabbed it and ran her thumb across the smooth face. Smiling at it she opened up the locket with her thumb nail and looked at the engraving for the thousandth time. 'May our love be the key to unlocking your future. XOXO Mom and Dad'.

She draped the necklace over her head and began replacing her undergarments and assembling her outfit. Walking back over to the mirror, she looked at herself. She frowned at the bandage on her nose and the state of her hair. She grabbed a hair tie off the sink and pulled back the top half of her hair into a loose ponytail. She took a final look at herself while making sure the locket was tucked under her shirt.

'This will have to do, I don't feel like taking a shower right now.' She thought.

Walking out into her bedroom, she grabbed the ankle boots she wore the day before and slipped them on. She then grabbed her phone and placed it in the right pocket of her cardigan. After all that, she was ready to go about her day when a knock hit her door. Standing only a few feet from it, she stared at with a mildly confused expression. Nobody usually came by her quarters. Slowly she crept over to the door and pressed a panel on the right hand side. An image popped up revealing Bucky as her surprise guest. She pressed the panel again, allowing the door to slide open. His right arm was up in the air, preparing to knock again. His eyes widened a little when the door opened to reveal her.

"Uh…Good morning." He stated in an almost hushed tone as he lowered his arm.

Serenity arched an eyebrow at him, but replied, "Good morning. May I help you?"

"Well…uh…I just wanted to…apologize. For yesterday. With the arm and the nose." He said as he gestured to his arm then her face.

With her brow still raised she let a slight smile slip from the corner of her mouth, " Thank you. However, there really isn't too much to apologize for." She stated as she slipped past the space between the door and Bucky. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. It's not like you intentionally punched me or something."

The door closed behind her and she began walking down the hall. Bucky was slightly surprised at her words and actions. He turned and began walking beside her, matching her stride.

"But I broke your nose." He said in a confused, but matter of fact tone.

"And it will heal, just like every other injury. I appreciate the apology. I'm just saying that I'm not worried about it." Serenity stated while shrugging her shoulders.

Bucky scratched the back of his head, "So, you aren't upset?"

She looked up at him with a confused look, "No, why? Did you expect me to be?"

"Well, maybe a little…" He said in a confused way, "Usually people aren't to keen on having a broken nose, much less a woman like yourself."

"A woman like myself?" She quoted him in a tone of disapproving similar to Natasha's.

"All I meant was, no one wants a beautiful face to be messed up like that." Bucky blurted out defensively, trying to explain himself, but his eyes widened a bit after saying it.

Serenity's cheeks and forehead turned a light shade of pink when she heard his explanation. She chose to ignore the words and quickly looked away as she began walking faster. Bucky followed after her and she tried walking just a few steps ahead of him, as to not reveal her embarrassment. However, his gate was much longer than hers and he caught up within seconds.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for…I mean not that it isn't true, I mean-" His words were interrupted by a familiar male voice, making them both come to a stop.

"Bucky!" Shouted Steve, who was walking towards them, "There you are. Where have you been?"

Steve looked over and saw Serenity standing next to him, with a rather sheepish look on her face. Bucky had a similar look, which confused Steve, but he brushed it off for now. He stopped in front of them and smiled at Serenity while extending his hand.

"You know, we never got introduced yesterday. I'm Steve Rogers. You are?"

She stared at his hand for a split second and then extended hers, "Doctor Serenity Sinclair and I'm aware of who you are."

They grasped each other's hands and shook a couple of times, his grip was firm. It was apparent he was holding back on the shake, but maybe not enough. Serenity didn't let the pain from the handshake show and just smiled slightly.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Sinclair." Steve said with a smile.

"Serenity is preferred to Doctor." She stated.

"Well, Serenity, how's the nose?" He gave her a concerned but heartfelt look.

"Fine. It should heal nicely. No cause for concern." She said as she raised her hand to gently touch her bandage.

Bucky was quiet during the conversation, still looking guilty when Steve brought up the incident. Serenity noticed this and decided to change the topic.

"Well, you two will have to excuse me. I need to get to my lab."

"Of course." Steve said with a smile.

She lightly nodded her head and continued down the hall. Before leaving their presence she turned around, turned her gaze to Bucky and stated with a smile, "Thank you for your apology...and concern." And continued to the laboratory.

Bucky let a smile slip as he watched her walk away. Steve noticed this and gave him a sly smile. Bucky almost seemed to blush when he saw Steve was looking at him and removed the smile from his lips. He turned to his left, down a different hall and Steve followed. Catching up to Bucky, Steve couldn't help but inquire about what Serenity said.

"So, you apologized? How did that go?" He asked.

"She said not to worry about it." Bucky replied with a blasé demeanor, so Steve wouldn't think to ask more questions about what happened.

Steve gave him a slap on the back, "See! I told you there was nothing to worry about."

Bucky nodded and changed the subject with a question, "Now weren't we going to go train?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hope you guys enjoy!

Serenity sat cross legged on a desk chair as she scribbled out the plans for a new kind of body armor. There were different types sketched out on the large drawing pad. Notes were placed all over the page with more doodles to show what each feature was. She stopped for a second and placed the end of the pencil to her lips as she tried to ponder the features. However, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the glass door of the lab. She spun her chair around and saw Bucky standing at the door.

"May I come in?" Asking as he stood in the open doorway.

"Sure." She said with a smile, "What can I do for you?"

Bucky walked forward and stated, "I need your help with something."

Walking closer to her and he brought his left arm up to show her. There was a plate that appeared to be pried open, exposing some of the components. Serenity uncrossed her legs and stood up from her chair. Walking over to him, she gently picked up his arm. Examining the issue more closely.

"Woah, what happened here?" She asked with a look of concern.

"Steve and I were working on a new move, where he uses my arm to bounce his shield. I guess it must of hit my arm wrong." He gave her a goofy half smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Natasha said that you were pretty good with stuff like this."

Serenity didn't look up when she replied, still examining his arm, "Well, I'm not the best, but I think I can fix this. Have a seat over there." She pointed to a different chair than the one she was using.

Bucky obliged and took a seat. Strolling over to a table, she opened a drawer and pulled out a black case. She placed it down in her chair and wheeled it over next to Bucky. Grabbing the case, she then sat down and placed it on her lap. Unzipping it revealed a tool kit, complete with soldering iron, digital multimeter, wire cutters, different types of soldering wire, and many other tools. She pulled out several pieces from the case and began setting up her workstation.

As she set up her tools, Bucky couldn't help but watch her. She actually seemed happy to be doing this. He couldn't help but wonder how she could be so joyful about helping him. When only a couple weeks ago he broke her nose. It made no sense to him as to why she wasn't afraid or angry. He was actually grateful she wasn't, but couldn't understand why.

Serenity looked up from her station after finish her set up. She caught Bucky staring at her, but he quickly adverted eye contact. She smiled and gently touched his arm, getting a better look at the impact point.

"So Steve's shield is what caused this?" She asked as her slender fingers glided around the spot.

"Yeah. Did a lot more damage than we thought." He replied, glancing over at her.

"I'll say. It appears that the shield hit one of the small openings that allow you flexibility. Since the shield is also made of vibranium, it was strong enough to bend the plate." Serenity continued her examination of his arm as she spoke.

"Do you think you can fix it?" He asked

"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed as she bounced her head up from examining him, "Thankfully, I have been able to work with the vibranium recently. I have a decent understanding of it, I can get you patched up in a jiffy."

Bucky smiled, "Glad to hear that I'm in good hands then."

Blushing slightly she grabbed the tools required and began fixing the components. As she worked away, Bucky took this chance to take another look at her. He was memorized by her and couldn't stop himself from staring. With the bandage on her nose gone and the injury healed, he could see her fully. Small freckles spread across her cheeks and dainty nose, that now had a small scar on the bridge. Her eyes were like the stars, the way they drew you in to explore the sparkling shades of blue and green. Her hair, pulled up in a ponytail, was a shade of brown that reminded him of whiskey. It even had golden hues that shined when the light hit the soft curls just right. Her skin was smooth with a tawny, beige complexion. Bucky was so caught up in her features that he almost didn't notice she was done fixing his arm.

"All done!" She stated with a chipper tone.

Bucky looked down while opening and closing his palm. He twisted and flexed to check the work. It looked like he had never been damaged. She packed up most of her gear, and watched Bucky as he tested the repairs.

"Will it do?" She asked playfully

He looked over and smiled, "Yes. Thank you."

"No problem! It was a pleasure, I have been itching to get a better look at it. Ever since I heard about it, I was dying to get a peak inside." She said while getting up to return the chair she was sitting in. She stopped and looked back with a furrowed brow and a pained look, "I'm sorry, that makes me sound like some horrible person. I wanted to see your arm, but I wanted to meet you too. The arm is just junk without the man, not the other way around."

Bucky couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You wanted to meet me?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Serenity walked back over to him and gave him the most caring look anyone ever gave him, it was almost like she was upset to hear him ask such a question. "Of course. When I heard about you from Bruce, at first I was mostly fascinated with the idea of someone with a bionic arm. However, the more he spoke of you, the more I wanted to get to know you. I mean, what an incredible path your life has taken you down. You have endured things no one should ever have to go through. Yet here you are. A man like that is worth getting to know."

Bucky was speechless after hearing her words. Here was a woman, who wanted to be in his presence. She knew his story and still wanted to get to know him. This baffled him and Serenity could tell by the expression and gaping mouth.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked, confused by his expression.

Shaking his head to release himself from his daze, he then stood up from his seat. "No. The opposite actually. I didn't think anyone would want to talk to me, much less get to know me."

Stepping closer to him, she looked deep into his sky blue eyes, "I would love to get to know who James Buchanan Barnes is and was."

Bucky couldn't help but blush a little at this and didn't have anything to say after. He was flattered that she wanted to get to know him, but how could she get to know him. When in reality he barely knew himself. He has been piecing together memories for a while now, but they were fragments. He stared back into those captivating eyes. They were hard not to stare into, like vast oceans of emotions. Serenity was also enchanted by Bucky's eyes. They showed such few emotions, but the ones there were screaming at her. Standing only a few feet from one another, in complete silence. It was only a few seconds, but to them it felt like hours. Their daze was broken by the door to the lab opening and shutting.

Bruce stood by the door like a deer caught in the head lights, "Am I-uh… interrupting something?" He asked, quite flustered by the two of them.

Clearing his throat, Bucky replied, "No. I was just about to leave. Thank you very much Serenity."

He bowed his head and quickly shuffled out of the lab, giving Bruce a nod as he left. Bruce returned the nodded and watched as he walked out and down the hall. He then whipped his head back to Serenity with a gaping mouth and wide eyes.

Serenity arched an eyebrow at him, "What is that look for?"

"Uh, what did I just walk into?" He asked as a sly smile crept up

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." She stated as she quickly returned to her chair and drawing pad.

Bruce hurried over to the other side of the table, so he was right in front of her. His arm was extended and he was pointing in the direction that Bucky went. His expression was just as wide eyed and ridiculous as before. He pointed at her then back at the door a few times.

"Come on, Ren! I'm not stupid, you two were having a serious moment there." Bruce was almost giddy as he spoke.

Serenity lowered her eyelids and pursed her lips, "What are you? A 12-year old girl?"

Bruce wasn't even fazed by the comment, "Well, I know what I saw."

Serenity shook her head, "Yeah, two people staring at each other. Let's alert the press." Then returned her pencil to the pad.

Bruce said nothing, but just smiled and walked over to a different table within the lab. Serenity tried to focus on the work in front of her, but couldn't stop thinking about Bucky. In the bottom corner of her page, she began to draw out a pair of eyes. She drew out, from memory, Bucky's steely and soft gaze. She wondered how someone could appear so dangerous and helpless at the same time.


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, so I'm sure you all don't care for the pre-story blurbs but I just wanted to say that I may go in a different direction with the story than originally planned. I wanted this to be just a fluff story, but the more I think about this the more I want to do. This chapter still is fluff, but be ready for some deeper and maybe darker things to happen.

Bucky walked down the hallway, having just left Serenity's lab. His mind could not shake her image. Her smile crept in like sun on a rainy day. Her eyes shining like beacons in the night. Her personality was so magnetic, it seemed like she was always in a good mood. He had only briefly spoken with her a couple times since the accident and today, but she was always upbeat. Something he found difficult to do. However, when he was around her, he could not help but smile.

"Hey Bucky!" Greeted a familiar voice.

He stopped, seeing Natasha walking his way and replied in kind, "Hey Natasha."

"I see my advice paid off. Told you Serenity was good." She stopped and crossed her arms, smiling at her genius.

"Yeah. Fixed me right up." He said, still a bit distracted.

Natasha quickly caught onto this, "Something wrong?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm just a bit worn out is all."

"Well then, go take a nap grandpa." She gave a mischievous smile as she continued down the hall, presumably on her way to see Bruce.

However, a nap was not on the agenda. He wanted to get his mind focused. Feelings like this could not happen, nor would he let them. Deep down, Bucky felt like he did not deserve them. He believed happiness was not for the damned. He continued down the hall, pushing out the image of Serenity.

Meanwhile, back at the lab, Serenity and Bruce worked separately on their own projects. Serenity was still working on her defense armor sketches. The drawing of Bucky's eyes were finished, staring at her from the bottom of the page. She tried to focus on the task in front of her, but it was for not. She barely wrote out one word since Bucky left. Her thoughts tangled up with his image. Wondering how he could have such an impact on her. She got her chance to meet him, but did not believe she would have butterflies while around him. Nor did she think that her mind would not stop picturing him. There were so many things she wanted to know, but she could not even get one question out. She froze when gazing into his eyes. Her train of thought was broken, when Natasha walked through the door.

"Are you ready, Serenity?" Natasha asked as she walked across the lab to Serenity's chair.

"Ready for what?" Serenity asked as she quickly closed the cover to her drawing pad.

Natasha leaned her hip against the table and crossed her arms, "Our training session. I was nice and let you have some time off, because of your nose. But now it's time to get to work. We are gonna make up for all that time lost."

Serenity let out a groan and sulked in her chair, "Ugh! Why do I even need to go through training?"

"This was your idea. You were the one who said…" Natasha made quotes with her fingers, "I need to learn how to defend myself."

Serenity looked up at her from her slumped position in the chair, "Fine."

"Be ready and in the gym in fifteen minutes." Natasha stated.

She stood up in her chair, grabbed her drawing pad, and slowly walked away. Natasha turned to look at Bruce, who was standing at his own table. He was looking at Natasha with a goofy smile.

"Happy to see me?" She asked as she leaned over the table.

"Yes, but that isn't what I'm smiling at." Bruce said while doing a giddy dance over to her, looking over the door to make sure Serenity was out of sight.

She gave him a confused look as he got closer, "Then what has you acting like a 12-year old girl."

He stopped and frowned, "Serenity said the same thing to me." He shrugged it off and proceeded, "I think Serenity and Bucky like each other."

She gave him an unimpressed look, "That's what you're excited about. You really are a 12-year old girl."

"I'm serious. I caught the two of them staring into each other's eyes." He stated in a matter of fact way

"Oh wow!" She exclaimed, the sarcasm seeping from her lips, "Well, that says it all."

Bruce waved his hands, "You DON'T get it. They were standing in complete silence, staring into each other's eyes. I know that stare…"

Bruce's eyes softened and he stepped closer to Natasha, gently placing his hands on her waist. She straightened up and instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders. The two shared a moment where they were the only ones in the world. Nothing else around them existed for those few seconds.

"Trust me, Nat…I know that look." Bruce stated as he brought her in closer.

"Well, you are the expert." She said while leaning in, only inches away from his lips.

Bruce smiled and broke the gap to place a tender kiss on her lips. Natasha replied in kind and pushed into his lips for a more impactful kiss. It followed with several small kisses, before they pulled away. Natasha leaned back, but did not pull away from his arms.

"So, they stared into each other's eyes like that?" She asked with a sly smile

He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a goofy smile, "Well…minus the physical contact."

"Maybe they do like each other, but if a look is all that happened. Then only time will give us answers." She reluctantly pulled away from him and leaned up against the desk.

He let out a sigh, "I guess so.

"Maybe I will do some digging." She said while pushing herself away from the table.

She turned to face him and walked backwards, "I'll see you later on tonight." Blowing a kiss as she turned back around and left the lab.

Meanwhile, Serenity walked into the gym, Natasha was already standing at the entrance. Natasha crossed her arms and shook her head. "You're late."

"Yeah. Sorry. I guess I'm kind of out of it." Serenity stated as she walked up to Natasha.

"No excuses. You will pay for your tardiness with twenty squats, on top of your usual set." Natasha said with a disapproving look

Serenity's eyes widened, but she didn't fight the order. Learning from past experiences, fighting back would only make the sessions longer and more intensive. Serenity walked over to a large mat and began stretching, Natasha joining her. Serenity made them all count, as she knew Natasha was going to put her through the ringer. Her suspicions were accurate, as the next two hours were non stop. As far as Serenity was concerned, it was torture. Core was first, with dynamic planks and leg raises. Next came upper body, doing bench presses, pull-downs, dumbbell presses and curls. Last was lower body, pushing through deadlifts, extra squats, leg presses, and calf raises.

By the end of it all, Serenity's body felt like it was ready to crack. She could barely stay standing, as her legs felt like Jell-o. She looked over at Natasha, who was sweating, but appeared as cool as usual. Natasha was doing everything that Serenity was, but with more weight and more reps. Serenity could not help but look on with admiration towards Natasha. She may not have actual superhuman powers, but she sure was a super woman.

"Is that…a wrap…for today?" Serenity asked, in between breaths.

Natasha smiled and nodded, "For today, but tomorrow, we're sparing."

Serenity collapsed on the floor of the gym with an agonizing groan of defeat, "You are going to be…the death of me."

"Heh, you'll be fine. It's only because you took a couple weeks off." Natasha stated as she walked over to Serenity, "I knew I shouldn't have been so soft. We will get back into our old routine soon enough."

Natasha extended her hand and Serenity grabbed it, with the pace of a sloth. Pulling her up off the ground, she patted Serenity on the back. Serenity slowly began walking towards the exit, but stopped for a drink at the water fountain. Natasha leaned up against the wall and looked down at Serenity with a smile.

"So, how's the nose?" Natasha asked as she crossed her arms.

Serenity looked up at her and stopped her drinking, "Fine." She stood up straight while wiping off the excess water on her mouth.

"Bucky really did a number on it, huh? What an ass." Natasha said as she traded places with Serenity at the fountain.

Serenity furrowed her brow, "No, it wasn't his fault. He extended his arm to stretch and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. It was a simple accident, that he apologized for. No big deal."

Natasha stood up from the fountain, "Sorry, didn't know you were so defensive about Bucky."

Serenity blushed and stumbled over her words in reply, "I-I'm not…uh…d-defensive about him."

Natasha strolled pass her, "Seem pretty quick to defend him, in my opinion." Serenity watched her walk away, but quickly followed. "Not sure if I would defend the man who broke my nose." Natasha stated as she exited the gym.

Serenity was silent as she followed behind her. She did not have a reply for this. It was perfectly logical to be mad or upset at the person who breaks your nose. However, Serenity could not bring herself to be mad at him. She knew it was an accident and he apologized. What more could be done?

"Do you like him or something? Is that why your not mad?" Natasha asked, slightly turning her glance to Serenity.

Serenity let out an awkward laugh, "Ha, what? No no no, of course not."

Raising her eyebrows, Natasha shrugged, "Ok, then."

"Yeah, cause I'm not." Replying to a question that was no longer on the table, but she did think of a question she needed the answer to, "Natasha…do you know why Bucky and Steve are here at the compound? I mean, I know that things were smoothed over between the avengers after the war. However, why are they here now?"

Natasha raised her brow, "You sure do have a lot of interest in a man you claim to have no interest in. Everyone felt that this facility would be the best place for them to stay. They moved in the same day Bucky and you met." She placed a hand on Serenity's shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Bright and early, 7 o'clock." Then turned left down a nearby hall.

Serenity let out a groan and continued walking down the hall. She pushed some of the hair that had fallen from her ponytail out of her face. It now stuck to the side of her face, the sweat keeping it in place. She started thinking about what Natasha said about her being defensive, about Bucky breaking her nose. To Serenity, it was not a big deal. Accidents happen and that is all it was. Serenity wondered why Natasha was wondering about such things anyway. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Hey Serenity."

Serenity looked up to see Bucky walking up to her. He smiled and stopped just a few feet in front of her. She stopped, staring at him for a second. She could feel it, the butterflies. They fluttered around with excitement and this feeling confused her.

"Hey." That was the only word that could escape from her lips.

Little did they know, the feelings were mutual. Bucky felt as if he could not move. Those eyes pierced through his soul. She looked at him and it somehow stopped him in his tracks. Once again, they stared into each other's eyes with only silence between them. Serenity wanted to say something, but what?

Suddenly, she blurted out, "EMP!"

Both Bucky and herself appeared to be confused by this. She closed her eyes and scrunched her brow while rubbing her temple. This was not a proud moment for her. She took a deep breath and tried again.

"I have been thinking about you, I-I mean your arm…and if you are up for it, I was wondering if you would be ok with some upgrades. Like maybe an EMP feature."

Bucky raised his brow and shook his head as if he was agreeing, "Sounds interesting…but what's an EMP?"

Serenity was quite surprised he was not aware of what it was, "Well, EMP is short for electromagnetic pulse. Which, when harnessed correctly can render electronic devices useless. I believe I can add the feature to the technology already in your arm." She seemed excited as she spoke about the topic.

Bucky smiled slightly, "That sounds…cool." He seemed uncomfortable saying the word, "People say 'cool' nowadays, right?"

Serenity nodded and held back a slight laugh, "Yes, they do."

"Well, I'm all yours then." He said, opening his arms, but then his eyes widened after hearing the words out loud, "I mean…you can do whatever you think is best."

Serenity was mildly startled by his words, "Ok, well…I will get to work and get back with you when I'm done. For now, I think I need to go."

"Oh yeah, of course. I'm sure you have way more important things to do." He said while stepping back to let her through.

"Not really, but I do need to take a much needed shower. I'm sure I smell like a garbage can full of dirty socks. I'll find you when I have that ready." She made her way past him, keeping her eyes on him until the last second.

He watched her walk away and stood in the hallway, dazed. Even when she was out of view, he still stood there, her image remaining. He wanted to fight these feelings, but whenever he saw her he could not resist. Now she was offering to help him again. He wondered why he deserved such affections. Besides Steve, she was the first person to show him such kindness. He turned back in the direction he was originally headed and continued down the hall.


	5. Chapter 5

So, I need to apologize. I have not updated this in a very long time and Im sorry. I am back though and have written much more. I have a plan for this story, but it is still only the start. Sorry if the pace of the story seems slow, but I need to build relationships before I can progress with the really good stuff.

Serenity sat at her desk in the laboratory, fiddling with a small gadget. She had a pair of dark glasses on as she soldered components together. She hummed a tune as she worked on the product in hand. Natasha had been putting her through very rigorous training over the last few days. She did not have much time for anything other than her mandatory projects. However, Natasha gave her a day off to relax her muscles. So she took that time to make the EMP device she promised Bucky. She was rarely in a bad mood, but Natasha never put her in a happy one when they did their sparing lessons. Natasha would push and instigate to get her more worked up. It was nice to have a day off and focus on better things. Serenity's concentration did not seem to break when Bruce walked up to her desk. He observed her as she worked, but it was not long before she stopped. Turning around, she peeked over the glasses to see him better.

She raised her brow, "May I help you?" She asked, suspicious of his presence.

He smiled slightly and looked down at what she was working on, "Whatcha makin?" He tilted his head slightly, his tone playful.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly, "If you don't realize what this is, then I'm ashamed to call you my colleague." She pushed her glasses back into place and continued.

He nodded, "Yes, I do know _what_ it is. However, my curiosity is wondering _why_ you are making it?" He turned and leaned against the desk. Looking at her instead of the object in her hand.

She continued her work as she spoke, "It's an upgrade for Bucky's arm. I figured it would help on missions from time to time."

He nodded again, pursing his lips as he raised his brow. However, he remained silent, pushing himself away from the desk. He walked back over to his side of the lab and continued his work. She stopped for a second and watched from the corner of her eye as he did so. She returned her focus back to the task at hand. However, it was not long before she was finished. She removed her glasses and gloves before picking up the device. It was about the size of a golf ball, if not a bit smaller. She smiled at her accomplishment. After placing the object safely in the drawer of her desk, she turned around to see Bruce's face buried in a microscope.

"Hey, I'm gonna head down to the cafeteria, what anything?" She asked as she walked over to a hand sink that was nearby.

He did not look up from his position as he replied, "A cup of coffee would be nice."

Serenity finished washing her hands and nodded, "Can do."

Once in the cafeteria, she made her way to the counter, surprised to find there was no line. She ordered Bruce a black coffee and a tea for herself. While waiting for her drinks, she scanned the room. She saw the same familiar faces, but not the one she wanted. Since she was finish with the EMP device, she figured she would let Bucky know. A figure walked up from behind, causing Serenity to jump a little.

"Looking for someone?" Asked Natasha as she looked out into the crowd with Serenity.

"No, just people watching." She replied much quicker than she should have, sounding almost defensive.

Natasha seemed to notice, but refrained from bringing it up, "You have been getting much better on your techniques in training. We still have some work to do, but not to shabby." Natasha stated, looking over at Serenity with a mischievous smile. "You have been back in the rhythm for a few days now, so I think we should switch up your training."

"Your drinks, Serenity." Stated the young man behind the counter.

Serenity grabbed them from the barista and thanked the young man. She turned back to Natasha and sighed, "If you insist, however, I don't think I need such intense training. I don't go on missions, I just wanted a few lessons. That way I could defend myself if needed." She motioned her head towards the entrance of the cafeteria and made her way in that direction.

Natasha followed, crossing her arms, displeased with Serenity's response. "If there ever comes a time when you have to defend yourself, the people you will be up against will be professionals. They will have years of training, you wouldn't last a minute with only a few lessons. We can stop if you want, but I suggest you continue."

Serenity was quiet as they walked down the halls. She could not help but agree with what Natasha was saying. They had been compromised before and it could surely happen again. Her job was simple enough, she was a mechanical engineer. However, the harsh truth was that she was vulnerable. She knew so much about SHIELD and the inner workings of their security. She created weapons and defenses alike. If she was ever taken, there is no telling what might be done to her to get information. She did not realize that she had not spoken for several minutes, she was awoken from her daze by Natasha's fingers snapping in front of her face. Serenity stopped in her tracks and shook her head.

"Sorry. You're right though…I never really thought about that before." She was still in thought about it all. How weak she really was in comparison to the professionals around her.

"So you'll continue?" Natasha asked hopefully.

Serenity nodded and continued walking back towards the lab. Natasha informed her that she must parts ways, there was some sort of briefing she had to attend. They said their goodbyes and Serenity was now back in the lab. Bruce had not moved from his seat. She smiled and walked over to him, sitting the coffee on his desk. He looked up for a second and thanked her for it. Grabbing it quickly, he took a hearty gulp from it, letting out a sigh of satisfaction after.

"Thanks, I needed that." He stated with a smile as he turned back to his microscope.

"No problem, you look like you needed one." She said with a slight giggle at the end.

"Oh thanks." The sarcasm dripping heavily from his lips.

She walked back over to her desk and took a sip of her tea, letting out the same sigh of satisfaction as Bruce. She was just about to sit down when Bruce asked, "Couldn't find Bucky?"

She stopped, but did not turn around, "I wasn't looking for him." It was both the truth and a lie. She had not gone out of her way to look for him, but she was looking along the way.

Bruce smiled under his microscope, "I heard he just got back from a mission. He should be back for at least a few days if not more."

Serenity's brow perked up as she brought her thumb to mouth, biting it slightly. She removed it before speaking again, "Oh. Good to know. I will keep that in mind."

She sat back down at her desk and looked at the different arrowheads neatly placed in a container on her desk. "Do you know if Clint is back too? I'm done with his new arrows."

"Umm…I think so." Bruce looked up from his microscope for a second, "I'm pretty sure he was on the same mission with Bucky."

She shook her head and grabbed the container. She pulled the the desk drawer open and looked at the EMP device. She smiled and shut the drawer back. With her tea still in hand, she tucked the container under her arm.

"FRIDAY, where is Clint?" She seemed to be speaking to thin air.

A female, Irish voice filled the room, "He is on level 4, in a briefing meeting in room 1."

"Thank you." She said with a smile.

"You are welcome." Stated FRIDAY.

Serenity walked out of the lab at a brisk pace, unaware that Bruce was watching her from the corner of his eye. A smile on his face as he watched her walk out of the room and down the hall. She made her way up the stairs to the next level. She walked down the hall and could see through the glass wall into the conference room. Clint, Natasha, Steve, and Bucky all sat around a table speaking with a man in his 40s. She knew him as Agent Coulson, a man many thought to be dead. After the war, he thought it best to announce to the team he was in fact alive. They were all so happy to hear it, but it was hard for others at first. She leaned up against the opposite wall in the hall and sipped her tea. She drank it fast and threw the cup in a nearby trash can. It was only about five minutes before they were all down. She thought it was rather fast for a briefing, but that must mean things went well. The team gathered up and headed out the door.

She walked over to Clint, as he exited the room, but made a glance at Bucky. "Hey Clint, I got your new batch of arrowheads." She stated while handing them over to him.

"Great! Thanks Serenity." Clint was bursting with glee as he took them from her. "Did you up the explosive power like I asked?" He mentioned while pulling one out to examine it.

She glanced at Bucky once more, who was speaking with Steve and Natasha. His eyes flickered over to see her after she glanced, but he quickly looked away. "Yes, I also added a few arrows with a knockout gas. It will put your target to sleep within seconds. Effectively keeping them under for at least half an hour." She stated with a smile as she bounced on her toes.

"Awesome, thanks again. Great craftsmanship as always too." He placed the arrow back in the case.

She leaned forward a bit and whispered, "I also tipped each one with Vibranium, they will pierce anything. It is only the very tip, which will be more than enough to penetrate armor."

He nodded with an impressed look and gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Good work."

She nodded as he walked away, leaving her within just a few feet of Bucky and the others. He looked over at her again, but did not break eye contact until Steve seemed to notice.

Steve smiled at Serenity, "Hey there, how have you been?"

She walked over to them, "Good, just dropping off some new arrowheads to Clint."

Natasha smiled and turned her attention to Steve, "Hey Steve, I almost forgot, I had something I needed to tell you. Mind going for a quick walk?"

He shook his head, "Not at all, ladies first." He said while gesturing towards the hall.

"I'll see you later, Buck." Steve said while patting his friend's shoulder.

Bucky nodded, but did not reply. He simply stood in front of Serenity, trying to avoid eye contact. She was looking down at her shoes, hands hidden behind her back. She played with her fingers as he rubbed the back of his neck.

She closed her eyes for a second, then looked up at him, "I finished that EMP device I told you about."

He looked surprised when she said this, "Really? I didn't think you were serious about that."

She shrugged in a confusion, "Why wouldn't I be? I said I would. I know you don't know me that well, but I normally follow through with things I say I'm going to do."

He let out a small smile, "Well, good to hear."

She brought her hands out in front of her, "If you have time right now, we can head back to my lab." She still looked up at him, her eyes full of hopefulness.

He nodded, "Lead the way."

She smiled and spun around, walking towards the stairs. However, Bucky stopped her with a question. "Why not take the elevator?"

She glanced over at the metal doors and took a deep breath, "I'm good, it's only one floor down anyway." She turned back around and bounced down the stairs.

Bucky followed suit, quickly catching up to her. They walked in silence, which boded well for him. Conversations were not his strong suit. His mind was buzzing on what he would even begin to talk about with her. She seemed so smart, he wondered if he could even speak the same language as her. He was one step behind her the whole way, trying not to in crouch on her space. Soon enough, they had arrived to her lab. She noticed that Bruce was no longer there. She opened the door and motioned for Bucky to enter. He was slightly surprised by her action, but entered the lab regardless. He looked around at the glass walls and metal tables. However, despite it being a lab, it felt rather lived in. There were notebooks and knick knacks on the tables. Even a couch with some blankets thrown on it. Labs were never usually a safe place for him, but some how this place always felt like it was. However, the glass walls were a bit difficult to get use to.

"Feels like we are on display in here." Bucky said as she walked over to one of the walls.

"Oh, yeah. That's an easy fix. FRIDAY, can you give us some privacy?" Serenity asked aloud.

"Of course." Within seconds of her reply, the glass fogged over and was no longer transparent.

Bucky reached up and touched the glass, "wow…" Those were the only words that seemed to be able to slip from his lips.

Serenity smiled at his simple reaction, "Is that better?" She asked giving him a soft look of concern.

He nodded and turned to look back at her, "Yeah. Thanks."

She motioned for him to take a seat at a nearby chair. He obliged as she walked over to her desk. There she removed her black bag from before and the EMP device. She sat down in her chair and pushed herself over to him. She sat the bag on the edge of the desk and began setting up. Bucky watched her as she neatly placed everything out. She turned over to him and brought the device to his view.

"So this is the EMP. I will place it in your arm and once complete you will be able to control it. All you have to do is press down on the right panel and think about activating it and it will activate. This will shut down anything and everything electronic within about a 100 foot radius. Make sense?" She asked as she handed the device over to him.

He took it and looked at it more closely, "This little thing can turn off devices." He appeared amazed by it.

"Eh, it does a lot more then turn them off. It actually makes them unusable. So be careful when and where you use. It could get you out of a bind if need be." She stated as she inspected her gear.

Bucky kept the device in hand as he turned to look at her, "Thanks for doing this, but… _why_ are you doing this?" He raised his brow and looked at his metal arm. "I mean just a few weeks ago, I broke your nose."

Serenity let out a sigh of frustration, "Oh my god! You are going to have to get over that!" Her voice was raised, borderline yelling. However, she took a second and took a deep breath, "Look I'm not worried about it. It was an accident, plain and simple. You apologized, I forgave you, end of story. Bring it up again and I will reconsider that forgiveness part." She stated while shaking a pair of pliers at him.

He smiled, "Ok, I won't."

"Good, and to answer your other question, I'm doing this because I like helping people. Now, I need you to pull the sleeve up on your shirt. That way I can get to the right part of your arm." She said while turning to face him completely.

He nodded and proceeded to remove his entire shirt. Serenity had no time to stop him, for it was off within seconds. She could feel her face heat up as she looked at his body. He was chiseled like a marble statue made by Michelangelo. She turned away trying to hide her face, as well as trying not to be caught looking so intently. She took a deep breath and turned back with tools in hand.


	6. Chapter 6

Serenity worked diligently on Bucky's arm as he sat and watched patiently. He wanted to speak, but he felt that if he did, he might break her concentration. For now, he floated between watching her and looking around the lab. He noticed the sketch books on the desk they were using. He saw the different suit and armor pieces, with the various notes he could not decipher. As he studied the art, he noticed a pair of eyes at the bottom. They looked familiar to him.

"Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to point out that you are a really talented artist." He stated with an impressed tone.

She looked up and over at the sketch book, her eyes widened a bit when she saw what page it was on. However, she hoped he would not recognize whose eyes they were. "Oh uh, thanks. I like drawing. It helps me to bring my thoughts to life before I actually bring them to life." She said as she turned back to continue her work.

"Do you have any other talents?" He asked, attempting to make small talk.

"Hmm, well, I used to ice skate a lot. My parents wanted me to go professional, but I didn't like the idea. I wanted to focus on school. Skating was just a way to blow off steam."

"Huh, do you still ice skate?" He asked, now curious about this new knowledge.

"If there is a rink around, I will always skate, but I haven't exactly been able to. I spend all of my time here and SHIELD doesn't really see an ice rink as proper use of space." She stated with a soft sigh at the end.

"Hm…yeah I guess so." He said, seeming upset to hear her response, "Where did you grow up?"

"Well, I'm from Brooklyn, but we moved out when I was about 10 years old." She sat up and switched tools, "My parents were both in the military. We moved every 2-3 years." Her voice was soft and almost sad when she spoke.

"Oh, what branch do they serve?" He asked, a bit more hopeful of this topic.

She took a long breath in and out before she spoke, "They were both Navy. Served for 10 years, before they…" She trailed off for a minute before she spoke again, "Before they were killed in action."

She continued to work on his arm, her once soft expression was not stiff. Bucky could see this and brought his other hand up, but returned it. He wanted to comfort her, but he did not believe himself to be the best person for that. She closed up the panel on his arm and put her tools back on the desk.

"Ok, it's all set." She said with a slight shakiness to her voice. She avoided eye contact with him as she put her tools back in the bag.

Bucky looked down, then back at her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

She nodded, "I know. You didn't know, it's ok…it's just still hard to think about sometimes." She paused what she was doing and continued talking, "It's coming up on 8 years now…but it still hurts to think about."

Bucky stood up, unsure of what to say, but instead turned to place his right hand on her shoulder. He was surprised when she grabbed it. She kept her hand over his for a minute before she straightened up. She sniffed a few times and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. She removed her hand from his and he removed his from her shoulder. Zipping up her bag she turned and looked up him. The whites of her eyes, nose, and cheeks were slightly pink. However, it just brought out more of the green in her eyes.

"Well, enough of that, I'm really starting to bring the mood down." She said, trying to hide the pain of sadness she felt with a smile.

The two were once again staring at each other, but this moment was quickly interrupted by the door to the lab opening. They both turned to see none other than Tony Stark standing in the doorway. He looked over his shades and raised an eyebrow.

"Did anyone ever tell you to leave room for the Holy Spirit?" Tony asked as he walked into the room, pushing his glasses back up.

Serenity sighed as Bucky grabbed his shirt, quickly putting it back on. He turned back to Serenity and nodded, "Thank you very much Serenity. I will take my leave now." And promptly walked out of the room, giving a nod to Tony as he left.

Tony returned the nod and took a seat at Bruce's desk. He fiddled with the microscope, "So, are you and the bionic man…" He made a whistle sound and spun his finger around.

She glared at him, "No. I was just adding an upgrade to his arm." She leaned up against her desk, crossing her arms.

"Hmm, shame. The guy could probably benefit from a little slap and tickle." He stood up from the chair, "I just came here looking for Bruce, seen him?"

She shook her head, "No. He was here about an hour ago, but I haven't seen him since then."

He nodded, "Ok, I'll just wait around for him, I'm sure he will be back." He walked over to Serenity's desk and looked over her work, "Working on anything good?"

She turned and grabbed the sketch book, quickly closing it, "No. Just going through upgrades of the defenses and weapons. Boring stuff."

He raised his brow and grabbed a loose sketch on her desk. He held it up and took off his glasses. "New suits and armor for agents?"

She nodded, "Yeah, with the new access to vibranium, I have been trying to come up with different ways we can use it. I tipped Clint's arrows with it. This design has the vibranium laced in with the fabric. The Wakandans do it, but this is my take on it. This way, everyone can be protected."

He nodded, "Good. Looks good. I mean you need some serious help in the actual design. It's very simple, there isn't any flare." He sat the page down and grab a pen from his jacket. He began adding different touches and notes to the page.

She threw her arms up and sighed in frustration, "It's just fine Tony! Simple is not a bad thing, these people don't need to be stylish." She grabbed the paper out from under him and stuffed it back into her book.

"Au contraire. Being stylish is very important. I hope you intend to do so at my rehearsal dinner this Friday. And at the wedding. I will not accept simple. No ma'am." He stated while putting his shades back on. "Well, I should really get going. I don't feel like waiting around anymore. If you see Bruce tell him I stopped by."

"Will do." Serenity replied as she watched him walk out the room. "FRIDAY, you can turn the glass back."

"Very well." Replied the AI.

Serenity looked down at her clothes and pursed her lips. She had forgotten about the party. She had nothing suitable to wear. After the war he pushed the wedding up. She was surprised to be invited, but she was a close colleague of Bruce. So she supposed it was his doing, most likely.

She looked up and asked, "FRIDAY, where is Natasha?"

"She is with , they are heading this way now." Said the AI.

Serenity could see them both walking from the opposite direction that Tony had left. They entered the room and both smiled at her. She gave them a small wave as they walked over to Bruce's desk.

"So Bruce, Tony just stopped by." Serenity stated as she took a few steps closer.

Bruce made an uncomfortable smile and looked over at her, "Oh yeah. Thought he might. I didn't answer his calls earlier. Oops." He scratched the back of his neck as he leaned against his desk.

"Aren't you his best man for the wedding?" Natasha asked sarcastically, already aware of the answer.

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, Yeah, but I'm having second thoughts. I don't like the idea of being up in front of a bunch of people."

Serenity let out a laugh, "Getting cold feet is normally what happens to the bride or groom. Not the wedding party."

He glared at her, "I'm aware. Ugh I'll go…find him." Bruce stated as he kissed Natasha on the cheek.

He shuffled out of the room and walked down the hall, in the direction Tony went. As though he already knew where he would be. Natasha shook her head and looked over at Serenity, who shared a similar expression.

"So, are you still going?" Asked Natasha.

"I don't see why not. I'm not the biggest fan of Tony, but he isn't a bad guy. I'm sure the more people there that Bruce knows, would be a big help too." She stated while she began to clean up her desk.

"Yeah, it couldn't hurt. Got anything to wear?" Natasha asked with a slight smile.

"Uhh…" Serenity shuffled some papers around, "Yeah, I was actually gonna talk with you about that. You wouldn't happen to have anything I could wear, do you? It's just, I don't normally go to formal events. So I really don't have anything suitable."

She turned around to see a very pleased look on Natasha's face, "I have a couple of dresses in mind."

Serenity looked a little worried, but she set that suspicion on the back burner. At least she would have something to wear.

The next day had come and almost gone. Serenity's day was filled with everything except work. When she asked Natasha for a dress, she did not expect her to go all out. Not only did she have a dress, but the woman picked out shoes, jewelry, makeup, and hairstyle for her. She dressed her up like a doll today and Serenity was exhausted. Then, she had the nerve to make her spare the rest of day. Needless to say, she was beat, physically and mentally. She walked down the hall, dragging her feet. Her hair was in a messy bun and her tank top clung to her body from all the sweat. She leaned up against a nearby wall, no longer having the strength to move. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. It was only seconds later that she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Serenity." Said Bucky as he walked up to her.

She straightened up quickly, "Oh hey Bucky. What are doing?"

"I just got back from a run with Steve. You look..." He said, trying to find the right word, "…exhausted."

"Haha…Yeah, Natasha put me through the ringer today. She said that because of Tony's wedding, we won't be able to train for a couple days. So she just wanted to make sure we got every minute in today." She said with some new found energy.

"Oh, you are going too?" He smiled, "Steve is making me go. I don't exactly feel comfortable with it though." He rubbed the back of his neck and took in a deep breath.

Serenity nodded, aware of why he would be uneasy with going. "Well, it's nice to hear you are going. It'll be good, for all of us." She smiled up at him.

He smiled back, feeling slightly more at ease. He was about to wave goodbye, but Serenity took a step towards him. "Do you want to grab a bite to eat? The cafeteria should still be open."

He stopped and looked at her with a puzzled and surprised expression, "Uh…yeah. That sounds good."

She bounced on her toes a couple times, "Great!" She spun in the direction of the cafeteria and Bucky followed suit.

They were soon in the cafeteria, that was empty, except for the staff. They both sat down with their plates in hand. Both were piled high with spaghetti and meat sauce, with a few sides of bread. They took a seat at a table by one of the windows. She looked outside at the night sky. It was a clear night and the stars shined so brightly. They both began eating, neither one seemed to care how clumsy they both were. They slurped and chowed their food down within 5 minutes. After finishing, Serenity wiped her mouth off and Bucky did the same.

"Man, I don't think I have seen a woman eat so fast before." Bucky stated as he looked down at her nearly clean plate.

She shrugged, "I was very hungry. All I had today was a protein shake. Ugh." She rolled her eyes at the thought of it.

He laughed, "Yeah, they aren't the best."

She placed her napkin on her plate and looked back out at the night sky, "What a beautiful night, huh?"

Bucky turned and looked out the window, "Yeah." He took a second to see the view, but his eyes flickered back to her.

She let out a soft sigh, "So, how has it been acclimating to all this? The different era I mean?" She said, turning her sight back to him.

He placed his hands on his lap and fiddled with his thumbs, "Well, it's been interesting. I really liked living in Wakanda. Things were simple there. Here though, there is so much going on. Technology everywhere. It's a bit much sometimes."

She nodded, "Yeah, I can see that. Well, if you ever need some help, just ask. I'm always happy to be of assistance."

He leaned forward in his seat a bit, "Ok, umm…can I ask a question now?" He seemed so timid while asking.

"Of course." She stated, also leaning forward.

"What are those things in people's ears? At the gym I see people with these cords coming out of their ears that go into their pockets. What are those?" His expression was that of concern and confusion.

Serenity placed a hand to her lips, trying not to let a laugh slip out. She thought it was going to be a much more serious inquiry. "Headphones. Their called headphones. They allow you to hear music from a device, normally a phone."

His face was still expressing confusion, so she pulled her phone from the pocket of her leggings. She unwrapped the headphones and gave him an earbud. He took it, but just looked at her, unsure of what to do. She tapped her ear and then placed the other bud in her ear. He watched and did the same.

"Give me just a second, I'm trying to find the right song. How about something you may recognize?" She said as she scrolled through her music selection.

"No, play something new, what do you listen to?" He asked as he watched her scroll through the phone.

"Hmm, I listen to everything. I mean literally everything. It just depends on my mood." She stated.

"Ok, well, what's popular nowadays?" He asked

"Hmm, Ed Sheerdan is pretty popular right now. This one is called Photograph. Let's start with that." She pressed play and the strumming of a guitar began to fill their ears.

She closed her eyes and let the rhythm flow through her. She mouthed the words and tapped her foot to the beat as it came. He listened to the beat and then the words. He watched her intently as she slowly moved to the soft voice of the musician. She opened her eyes as the tempo picked up and smiled at him. She swayed to the music, until it slowly faded away.

"I figured that would be a pretty easy song to listen to. Want to keep listening? I have plenty of songs." She asked with a giddiness to her voice.

"Yeah, that was nice. What else you got?" He asked, finding her happiness refreshing.

They continued listening to various songs from all decades and genres. She told him about her favorite artists and the different concerts she got to see. A few songs Bucky liked so much, he asked for her to play them again. She laughed at the different reactions he displayed as different songs came on. Sometimes he would smile and tap his feet to the beat. Other times he would scrunch his face as a sign of dislike. They were there for so long, they had not realized that the staff had left. They were officially the only ones left. However, they continued to surround themselves with the music. Uncaring of the world around them.


	7. Chapter 7

Bucky laid on his bed, eyes wide open as he watched the sun light shine through the window. His mind could not stop thinking about last night. Serenity and he were up until nearly 2 o'clock in the morning. He learned how to send a text message, he sent one to Bruce. He smiled when he recalled the look on her face when he sent it. It was the biggest smile he ever saw. During his thoughts of Serenity, a knock hit his door. He glanced over and sighed.

"Rise and shine, Buck!" Bellowed Steve as he knocked again.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed as he sat up. He walked over to the door and opened it. Smiling at Steve as he leaned up against the frame, "Good Morning."

"Ready to head out?" Steve asked

"Oh yeah, sorry. Give me a few minutes. I need to change." Bucky stated as he walked back in.

Steve followed him and sat in an office chair near a wooden desk. He took a better look at Bucky's clothes and raised a brow. "Are those the same clothes you wore yesterday?" Steve asked playfully.

Bucky slowed his pace and looked down, "Yeah, I just never changed out of them after I went to bed." He continued into the bathroom. "By the time I got back I didn't feel like changing."

"Got back?" Steve seemed confused by the statement, "Got back from training?"

"Well, after our run…I ran into Serenity. We grabbed a bite to eat in the cafeteria." Bucky replied as he removed his old clothes.

"Oh really?" Steve drew his vowels out in a curious tone, "How was that?"

Bucky chuckled at Steve's reaction, "It was, really nice. We listened to music. She taught me how to send a text message." Steve could hear the smile on Bucky as he continued, "She was very patient with me. It was…fun."

Bucky walked out of the bathroom in a pair of jeans and red T-shirt. He stopped when he saw Steve's goofy smile. "What?" Bucky asked with a slightly suspicious glare, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"When did you call it a night?" Asked Steve as he stood up from his chair.

Bucky grabbed a pair of socks and slipped them on, "Um, like 2ish. I think."

Bucky was putting his boots on, so he could not see Steve. Who was mouthing the words, oh my god. The man was giddy, but had to quickly hide it once Bucky looked up. "Ok, I'm ready." Stated Bucky. Steve nodded and the two of them headed out the door.

"So, are you planning on seeing her again?" Steve asked as he glanced to check Bucky's reaction.

"Umm, well she will be at Tony's dinner tonight, so yeah." Bucky replied, unaware of Steve's true reason for asking.

"Good." Steve said as she shook his head, "Then let's go get that suit."

On the other end of the compound sat Serenity, who was working on another gadget. She tinkered away at the details and hummed along to the music that was playing in the lab. Normally she wouldn't play music, because of Bruce. However, he told her he would not be in the lab today. So she took the opportunity to play some. She smiled when the song Photograph by Ed Sheerdan played, her feet began tapping to the beat. Her mind zoned out to last night. She loved seeing Bucky so innocent as he tried to send the text. The phone looked foreign in his hands. The phone had issues with his metal fingers, so he had to use one hand. Once that thought crossed her mind she stopped what she was doing. She sat down her tools and rolled her chair over to the other side of the lab. She opened a desk drawer and rummaged through it. It wasn't long before she came across a phone. It was her old one, but it was still in great condition. She pushed herself back over to the desk and sat in down close by.

Hours passed, unbeknownst to Serenity. As she had been fiddling with the gadget from before. She glanced up at the clock on her desk and jumped up.

"CRAP!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the phone.

There was only a couple of hours before the dinner. She sprinted down the hall and stairs to the common room level. She bursted into her room and began undressing. She pulled out her dress, shoes, and jewelry, placing them on the bed. She hopped in the shower and quickly cleaned up. After she exited the shower a knock echoed in her room. She placed a robe on and saw that Natasha was standing outside her door.

She opened it and gave Natasha a smile, "Hey."

Natasha's mouth dropped, "You aren't ready yet?!" She was borderline irritated, but she also seemed to be holding back a laugh.

Serenity walked back into the room, "Yeah, just give me like 20 minutes."

Natasha shook her head, "Ugh, bring me the blow dryer."

The rehearsal dinner was now under way and in full Tony fashion. It was being held at their home in East Hampton, New York. However, even by the standards of the Hamptons, it was a colossal home. It was secluded, modern, and sat on the beach front. All of which was really no surprise to anyone. One of many limousines pulled up to the entrance of the home. Bruce was the first to step out, he wore a full black suit, most likely picked out by Tony or Natasha. He extended his hand to Natasha as she slipped out of the vehicle. She adorned a long, form fitting, black dress that glimmered in the light like stars in the night sky. The strapless dress was accented by a graduated diamond necklace. Once out, Bruce extended his hand to Serenity. Her cream, round toe heels touched the pavement as she took hold of his hand. She stepped out in a dark blue satin, off the shoulder, tea length dress. A single strand of pearls adorned her neck. The layers in her hair bounced and feathered back off her face. Her hair was no longer tied up and was free to cascade down her back.

Bruce linked arms with Natasha and gestured forward, "Shall we?" He said as they began walking forward.

Serenity was close behind, she felt rather uncomfortable in this environment. She never usually dressed like this. Parties were never an issue, but the dressing up part was. Although, she had to admit, she did feel beautiful. Natasha went easy on her make up. Just mascara, a neutral smoky eye, and a dusty rose shade of lipstick. It was still more than she wanted, but she did not get a choice in the matter. They entered the home and into a grand foyer. The place was full of people, but it was no where near cramped. The home was just as big on the inside as it appeared on the outside. She walked around the house, shaking hands with familiar faces. During which she came across Pepper and Tony.

"You look lovely, Pepper." Stated Serenity as she admired her long, strapless, cream dress.

"Thank you. You as well." Pepper smiled and hugged her.

Tony walked up behind Pepper and kissed her on the cheek. He looked over at Serenity and lowered his light blue shades while smirking, "Someone cleans up well."

Serenity crossed her arms and tried not to smile, but found it difficult, "Thanks."

More people walked up to the couple and Serenity took that as her signal to leave. She made her way out of the house and onto the patio. When she opened the patio door a cool, salty breeze hit her skin. She let out a sigh of contentment, happy to be out of the house. There were only a handful of people outside, most likely since it was colder. There were a few heaters placed along the patio, but the cold was bearable for now. She walked over to the short fence that lined the patio and looked out at the sandy beach.

On the other side of the patio sat a familiar group of people. Steve and Bucky sat at a table with their team mates. He sat in his chair, not actually engaged in the conversation. Steve was speaking with a tall, blonde man whose arm was draped around the shoulder of a beautiful redhead. A sharply dressed dark skinned man also sat with them as the conversation progressed. Bucky was observing all the them, when a blue dress caught his eye. His jaw slowly dropped when he noticed who it was.

"Woah…" he whispered to himself. However, it wasn't quiet enough.

"What was that Buck?" Ask Steve as he looked over at Bucky. He was confused by the dumbstruck expression. Following his line of sight, he saw who his stare was locked on. Steve smiled and turned back to Bucky. "Go say Hi."

Bucky nodded and stood up, straightening out his dark grey suit and navy tie. He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair and slowly walked in her direction. The others at the table seemed to notice.

"Yo, where is he going?" Asked the dark skinned man.

"You'll see." Smirked Steve as he watched the interaction unfold.

Bucky walked up to Serenity, "Hey there." His voice slightly shaky.

She turned around and smiled when she saw him. It pierced his heart like an arrow. She could not help but blush at how dapper he looked in his suit. "You look very handsome tonight." She said, bringing her hand up to her cheek.

He nodded, "Thank, Thank you. You, You look gorgeous." He tripped over his words as he tried to speak.

She giggled at his reaction, "Thank you."

"Would you like to join us?" He asked, turning to reveal a table of people that were starring intently at them. They raised their glasses at the two of them.

She nodded, "That sounds lovely."

He extended his arm to her, ready to lead the way. She was slightly taken a back by the gesture, but linked her arm with his. They walked across to the other side of the patio and were they were met with warm welcomes.

"Hello everyone." Serenity stated, "Nice to see you again, Steve. You too, Sam." She said as she walked up.

Bucky unlinked arms and pulled a chair out for her. She took the seat as Sam replied, "Good to see you too."

Bucky sat in between Steve and her. She looked over at the couple and extended her hand, "I don't believe we have ever been introduced, I'm Dr. Serenity Sinclair."

"I'm Wanda. Pleased to meet you." Stated the red head as she shook Serenity's hand.

Serenity moved her hand over to the man beside her. They gently shook hands, "I am Vision. It is a pleasure to make your aquatints. Bruce has spoken highly of you."

Serenity smiled, "Good to hear."

"Serenity, would you like a drink?" Asked Wanda.

"Oh no. Thank you, but I don't drink." She stated, "Alcohol that is." Clarifying herself.

"So, have you made any new gadgets yet?" Asked Sam after he took a sip of his drink.

"Actually I just made a new EMP device for Bucky." She looked over at him, "I was able to connect it right in his arm. I felt very honored to be allowed to do so." They made eye contact and both smiled.

"Really?" Asked Steve, who seemed quite surprised by this.

"Yeah…" Bucky said bashfully, "She explained what it was and it seemed like a good idea."

Vision interjected, "Fascinating. How do you control it?" His question directed at Bucky. He looked at Vision with wide eyes. Serenity gently placed a hand on Bucky's arm.

"I was able to get a schematic of his arm from Shuri. With that I was able to connect it to his neural receptors. He thinks of using it and then presses a panel on his arm. This allows the device to go off." She smiled at him and he nodded at her. His eyes thanking her for stepping in.

"How do we know it's safe?" Steve asked, his face locked in a stern look at Serenity.

She turned to him, "I know what I'm doing." Her tone sharp.

"I understand that, however, how do we know this device won't be used to hurt him." He straightened up and stared into her eyes.

Serenity's jaw tightened, she did not break eye contact, "Are you suggesting I would put something in his arm other than the device I spoke of?"

He shrugged, "It's possible and –"

She cut him off, turning her entire body to face him, "Let's get something clear! The device in his arm is an EMP and nothing more. I am not a nefarious person nor do I have other intentions." She stood up and pointed her index at the now startled Captain. "I like Bucky and I wanted to do something that may help him. The device is not hackable, so no one can use it except him. It's perfectly safe."

Everyone seemed shocked by her actions. Bucky looked at her, then back at Steve. Who nodded his head as he stood up. "I'm sorry. I'm not use to people, especially scientists, who have good intentions. I was just concerned."

Serenity took a deep breath and clenched her fist, "I understand, but I'm not like them. I just want to help." She looked at Bucky, then back up at Steve. "That's all."

He extended his hand, "My apologizes."

Serenity accepted the hand shake, "Thank you. I'm sorry if I got defensive."

The two sat back down, "It was actually refreshing." Steve said with a small smile on his lips.

"Sooo…" Everyone looked over at Sam who had a slightly mischievous look, "You like Bucky?" He sipped his drink as he waited for her response.

A nervous laugh came out of her mouth that she could not stop from escaping. "Uhhh…ummm. Well…I uhh…" Her heart was racing as she messed with her dress.

"Hey guys." Asked Natasha as she walked up.

"Oh thank god." Whispered Serenity as she looked up at Natasha.

Natasha looked around the table, "You guys are such party poopers. Come inside and mingle." She crossed her arms and popped her hip out.

They all let out different moans of dissatisfaction and disappointment. However, they complied and made their way inside. The party was still just as full as earlier. The music had begun to pick up pace, now playing upbeat rock. Serenity stuck by Bucky's side, who did not seem to be too comfortable with being close to this many people. It was by no means crowded, but it was definitely more people than he was use to. Steve stuck by Bucky's side too and the three of them stayed near the patio door. Bucky glanced between Steve and Serenity a few times. After a minute, Steve came to a conclusion.

Steve looked at Bucky and smiled, "I'm going to go get a drink. You two enjoy yourselves."

Bucky and Serenity looked at each when Steve left, both smiled at the other. "That was brave of you." Said Bucky as he tucked some stray hairs behind his ear, "Standing up to Steve."

She nodded and looked down for a second, his blue eyes melted her heart. "Yeah. I guess. I just…I just know he was worried about you, but I didn't like being accused of anything like that." She pulled on some of her hair, twirling it in her fingers. "You're a good person and I have no intention of hurting you."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know." She looked up at him and once again made him weak in the knees with her gaze. He swallowed hard and removed his hand.

She smiled, "I almost forgot. I have something for you." She dug her hand into one of the pockets in her dress. Bucky looked surprised at the statement, "For me?" He asked.

She pulled out the phone from earlier. There were a pair of headphones wrapped around it. He took the phone, their hands grazing in the exchange. He let out a small chuckle, "Seriously? You got this for me?"

"It's my last phone. It's fully encrypted, so it's safe to use. My music is still loaded to it." She put her hands together in excitement.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do this though." He unwrapped the headphones and placed them in his pocket.

"I know. I wanted to. You seemed to really enjoy the music. So I figured this would be a great way for you to continue your technological education. My number is programmed in the phone, but you will need to add everyone else's." She moved in closer and pointed at the screen, "This one should read your other hand, so you can use both."

"Great. I will play around with it later. You are much better company anyway." He said while putting the phone in the same pocket as the headphones.

Serenity looked around the party, "Let's go back outside." She gently grabbed his arm and pulled him back out to the patio. He followed with no protest. She took a deep breath once the fresh air hit her. She walked over to the railing and began taking off her heels, using Bucky to keep her balanced.

"What are you doing?" Bucky asked, confused by her actions.

"Take off your shoes." She tried to sound stern, but her smile betrayed her. "You can keep them on, but it's never fun getting sand in your shoes."

He looked out at the beach and then back at her. She had already jumped over the rail, waiting for him. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks. Jumping over the rail, she grabbed his left hand, leading the way. The cold sand flying as they ran down to the beach. The crashing waves could now be heard, with the music behind them. She looked back at him, with a smile that could not be contained. They stopped just short of the water, hands still intertwined. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Bucky looked down at her, then did the same. They stood in silence, the sounds of the ocean and the faint music the only noise floating in the wind.


	8. Chapter 8

It was late afternoon, Tony and Pepper's Wedding just finished. They had it on the beach outside their home. The amount of people that attended was cut in half from last night. It was beautiful and a surprisingly heartfelt ceremony. Vision ordained it and although he was stiff at some moments, he did an excellent job. Pepper adorned a cream, form fitting, lace dress. Her red locks were pinned up into a chignon. Tony wore a traditional black tuxedo with a silk peak lapel and bow tie. Tony's vows were quite moving as he laid his heart out for how he felt about Pepper. Everyone felt so honored to be able to see that side of him. It was humbling to see this side of the hero.

After the ceremony everyone moved inside, watching the couple experience their first dance. They looked so happy as they moved along the floor. Their eyes locked on each other, as if the world around them did not exist. Afterwards, people continued to congratulate the couple. The music continued playing and a number of people danced with their partners. Serenity sat at a table, watching an older couple slowly sway to the music. They were Pepper's parents, and they seemed so happy. She contently watched them sway in each other's arms.

On the other side of the room stood Steve, Sam, and Bucky. Steve and Sam were talking to each other, while Bucky remained silent. His eyes were locked on Serenity. No matter what he did, he always found himself trying to find her in the crowd. Sam noticed Bucky and followed his line of sight.

"Go talk to her already." Sam stated, "You have been standing here staring at her and it's starting to get weird."

Bucky looked over at him and hesitated. Sam shook his head, "Ok, fine. Then I'm going to ask her to dance."

Sam took a few steps forward, but was stopped by Bucky's hand on his arm. Bucky let out a sigh and walked forward. Sam smirked and crossed his arms. Steve walked up behind him and said, "He really is starting to develop something for her, isn't he?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, but it's still weird."

Serenity was broken from her daze by Bucky, who had his hand extended. "Umm, care to dance?" His face looked both excited and scared. He was smiling, but his eyes looked as though they were ready for a let down.

Placing her hand in his, she stood up, "That sounds lovely." As they walked over to the floor, the song changed. They both smiled and looked at each other when Ed Sheerdan's "Photograph" came on.

"I must worn you, I'm a bit rusty." Bucky said has he placed his right hand around her waist. She put her left hand on his shoulder and took his right hand in her left. "It's ok, just let your body move you. We'll go slow."

They began to sway to the rhythm of the guitar. They looked into each other's eyes and ignored the world that surrounded them. They moved slow at first, staying in a small space on the dance floor. Their pace picked up as the song continued. They began to move around the floor, in between the other dancers. Her hair brushed against Bucky's hand as they moved faster with the pace of the song. He pulled her in closer and she could swear that she could feel his heartbeat. It was fast, but his face showed no signs of distress. His expression was soft and completely focused on her. Bucky gently guided her back and gave her a spin. Her dark red dress twirling before he brought her back in. She gave him a big smile and he returned it. Their smiles never left as they continued. Their pace slowed as the song did. The music faded away and another song began. The two of them slowly stopped and walked off the dance floor.

Steve and Sam stood on the edge of the floor, looking at Bucky in amazement. Their mouths slightly a gap. Bucky shrugged as Serenity guided him away. They sat down at a nearby table and she laughed.

"Rusty my ass." She stopped to catch her breath, "That was pretty damn good."

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled, "Yeah, we started and it was as if I was transported to the past."

She let out a sigh through her smile, "Good."

The day continued and so did the party. People made toasts to the happy couple, wishing them luck. They especially wished Pepper all the luck, as everyone knew how Tony acted. The day turned into night and many of the guests left. The wait staff had cleaned up and the team was all that remained. Tony and Pepper had left for their honeymoon. Tony purchased an island for the occasion, which did not surprise anyone. He allowed everyone to stay at his home until they were ready to head back to the compound. Everyone was sitting in the living room, talking amongst themselves. Serenity was talking with Thor on the couch.

"You really remind me of Jane. She too is passionate about her work." Thor said as he turned to face Serenity on the couch.

"Oh I know, I have met her a few times. She really is brilliant." Serenity smiled when she thought back to past encounters, "I was sad to hear about the break up though."

Thor waved his hands about, "Well, it was a mutual thing."

She could tell he was trying to put a mask on. He was smiling, but it was forced. She placed a hand on his arm, "It's ok to be upset about it. Heartbreak is hard to deal with. But it is something we all face and it takes on many forms. Time will help you to understand things better."

He nodded, "Yes, wise words."

She nodded back, but could tell he was now lost in thought. Her eyes wandered over to Bucky, who was sitting next to Natasha and Bruce. It appeared as though they were putting their phone numbers in his new phone. Natasha looked up and smiled at Serenity.

"Let's play a game!" Natasha exclaimed.

Everyone looked around at each other, some unsure and some excited. Serenity was the first to speak up, "What did you have in mind?"

"Who am I?" Natasha said as she walked over to a side table. She looked around and pulled out a pad of sticky notes and a pen.

"Oh fun!" Serenity clapped her hands, but the others seemed to be confused.

"How do you play it?" Wanda asked, interested in the game.

"I will write down names of famous people or fictional characters and we all place one of the names on our forehead. You get 20 questions to try and figure out who the person on the sticky note is." Natasha said as she began to write out names on the sticky notes.

She stuck one on everyone's forehead. She handed the pen and notepad to Serenity. Serenity put the pen to her lips as she tried to think. A light bulb hit and she scribbled out a name. Natasha leaned down and Serenity stuck it to her forehead.

"I will go first." Natasha said as she stood in front of everyone. "I will ask questions and you all can only tell me yes or no. If I don't get it by 20 questions, I have to guess. But if I know it sooner, I can guess then."

Everyone shook their heads in confirmation, "Ok, Am I a man?"

The game went on for about an hour as everyone took their turn. Natasha got her's quickly, in only six questions. Bucky, Steve, and Thor took the longest. Thor and Vision were the only ones to guess wrong and lose. They were all laughing over both their answers. It was almost a given Thor would lose, not being entirely aware of Earth's culture. After the game everyone except Bucky, Steve, and Serenity retired to their beds for the night.

Steve leaned back in his chair, with a big smile on his face, "That really was fun. It's nice to have a sense of normalcy."

Bucky nodded in agreement as he glanced over at Serenity. She looked over at him and her smile grew. She added to his statement, "Normalcy is not really something people in our line of work get. It will be hard to return to the compound." She sighed softly.

"I have always wondered, why do you stay at the compound? Many of the people there live elsewhere, they commute in on the bus to my knowledge. So why stay there?" Steve asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Serenity looked at him and then at the coffee table, "I don't have any family or friends. At least, not any close friends. Bruce is the closest friend I have. My work is my life and staying at the compound just made sense." She fiddled with her dress, "I'm not as lonely anymore. I may not have friends, but I'm always surrounded by people. It's a lot nicer than being alone in a house or apartment."

"I hope you consider us friends." Bucky chimed in, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I do." Serenity looked at him with a soft smile.

"We sure enjoy your presence. Bruce always spoke highly of you, but we never really got to meet you." Steve stated, "Until you know…" He made a gesture at Bucky and her.

She let out a high pitched laughed, but quickly covered her mouth. After a minute she looked over at Bucky, "That is water under the bridge, really." She turned to Steve, "I don't like bringing it up. It was an accident that gets way too much attention."

Steve nodded, "Noted. Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay. I will see you two in the morning." He stood up and gave a tiny salute before heading off.

There was a moment of silence between Bucky and Serenity after Steve left. Serenity broke it first, "So, were you able to get a few phone numbers?" She was on a different couch, but she scooted closer to him.

He scooted closer as well and gave her a beaming smile, "Yes, I was. Everyone was pretty surprised to find out I had a phone."

"Not surprising, do you have any questions about it?" Serenity leaned forward a little.

Bucky nodded, pulling out the phone he got up and sat down next to her. "I do. Natasha said I should make a playlist, but I don't know what that is. I heard you use that term once before."

"It's a bunch of different songs that you like, put into a group. That way you can listen to your favorite songs or certain songs depending on your mood. I have some playlists already made on there." She pointed to the different playlists she referred to.

"Oh ok. Also, what is an App…Store?" His brow scrunched in confusion.

Serenity smiled and began to show him the many details about the phone. Much like before, they stayed up for hours, she answered his questions and showed him how to use it. He made his own playlist, downloaded the game solitaire, and learned how to use emojis. Serenity was feeling a heaviness in her eyes, but she pushed through her exhaustion. She enjoyed spending this time with him. He was just so excited about the phone, she didn't want to leave. They were relaxing on the couch, only a few inches apart. Bucky continued to sort through songs as Serenity began to drift to sleep. Her head gently rested on his left shoulder and she was out cold. He looked over at her and could feel his cheeks heat up. However, he let her sleep peacefully as he continued to figure out the phone.


End file.
